Toyota plans hybrid that runs on batteries

[hhcchen]

Toyota plans hybrid that runs on batteries
By Ken Thomas, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Toyota sees a future in plugging in vehicles — instead of simply pulling in for gas. Already a leader in the hybrid market with its Prius sedan, Toyota Motors plans to develop a hybrid vehicle that will run locally on batteries charged by a typical 120-volt outlet before switching over to a gasoline engine for longer hauls.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/product...-hybrids_x.htm

sounds like a good idea...
you use less foreign oil... but need more electricity from local energy resources...
so you can run solely on battery...
i am wondering... if you run out of battery... or let's say your battery is dead during a road trip...
can those hybrids run solely on gas engine...???

[rstb88]

ya of course its a bacl up. but like all lithium ion batteries after a certain amount of use they are useles and unrechargable. not to mention if you get your energy from coal we will use it up too. time to switch to nuclear power or nuclear power cars....or solar which ever is easier

[TRD_Yaris]

yeah, it's pretty damn lame when we see a SOLUTION to PETROL FUEL cost by increasing are dependency on Coal (last i heard, almost all our power grid is still coal, correct?)

This country sux..we need to OVERHAUL the energy grid..decentralize for MANY MANY REASONS..less terrrorist risk, less infrastructure damage from disaster (imagine if electricity was always ONLY A BLOCK AWAY..and the blocks also all had backup fuses to support eachother with minimal electricity in emergency's..)

Renewable Portfolio Systems...solar power has become readily available and cost effective for the common person, and many electrical companies (including Austin's main electricity provider) will pay most of the $20,000+- for the unit/installation on your house..granted that you allowthem to use whatever you don't..

biomass/biodiesel -Schwarzenegger (f$ck sp.) knows what he's doing, promising that 40% of ethanol used in Cali will be from Cali buy 2008 (i think) and nearly independent in 12 years.. though, this does not really decrease emissions that much.but it is WAY BETTER THAN COAL BURNING!!

too many things we are not doing because the inefficient companies that are in power aren't enticed with the idea of changing..they are getting rich in the status quo.. look at phone companies.we are still running off copper lines underground when we have the technology to go full satellite..but until it costs the phone companies just as much to maintain/upgrade the copper, underground cables, they won't lose any sleep about it.

Humans are the funniest of creatures. No other creatures so avaricely destroys the ONLY things they need : clean air, water, food supply. We quickly pollute these and ONLY start to change our ways when it starts to COST TOO MUCH MONEY..how much is too much and is it even an important factor. This world will live on without us..we only destroy the earth for ourselves.

By the time we start to ask how much it will be way too late


anyway, that's my rant for the A.M. hours. Will be back for the evening performance.